Locked Inside
by Bligy
Summary: Not all incest is fairytale lust. Itachi was seven, he was thirteen… and occasionally he was forty one. When one kills their entire family, time becomes a fluid thing, until the only thing registered was a smile and the colour orange.AU Ita/Naru


**Locked Inside**

Itachi and Naruto

A Story written by Bligy

..........

**Disclaimer:** S'not mine, yadda, yadda.

**Summary:** Itachi was seven, he was thirteen… and occasionally he was forty one. When one kills their entire family, time becomes a fluid thing, until the only thing registered was a smile and the colour orange. AU

**Pairings:** Itachi/Naruto; Naruto/Sakura; Sasuke/Naruto; Madara/Itachi

**Warnings:** Incest, violence, mentions of sexual situations.

**Rated:** R

**Author's Note:** I just finished reading a book about an hour before I started writing this. While I have been prone to reading the occasional Uchihacest fic, it really is disturbing to think of what incest _actually_ does to a person outside of fairy tale lust stories.

**Edit:** So... REALLY hates me. For some reason, it ate all my spacers so this story probably appeared a lot more trippy than it's actually supposed to be. I'm really sorry for anyone who read it before I noticed. This is kinda annoying because it use dashes as my spacers in every fic I write, and now they've been zapped out of existence. Bugger.

..........

There was a certain amount of curiosity involved in that night. The question… the main question…

_Can I? Can I really do this?_

The initial shot of the gun had been a bit groundbreaking and bone-shattering, but the after-event of his annoying, saccharine aunt falling dead to the floor was oddly appealing.

_Yes._

Screaming started almost immediately, but he quickly cut off the family's uproar with a rapid-fire of well-aimed shots at the cluster of relatives gathered around him.

"_An Uchiha gathering," his father had stated with a scoff. "Just more posturing… at least Madara will be there. Always the life of the party, that uncle of yours."_

Oh, yes… Madara surely _was_ the life of the party. Every party Madara went to threw him into new, unequalled splendor… usually at the cost of other's mental liberties.

However, in the unparalleled silence that took over after he'd finished offing his entire family tree, there remained a chortling laugh that could only belong to one person, and an uncanny whimpering that belonged to another.

"Let him go," Itachi stated calmly, politely.

There had only been one member of his family he hadn't intended to kill here.

"I'd planned to do this a long time ago… I guess one of us finally gained up the balls," the older man stated.

Madara Uchiha. Forty five years old, brother of Fugaku – who was currently dead at Itachi's right, face planted in what once might have been his second cousin's brain – uncle of Itachi and Sasuke Uchiha. Retired former owner of Uchiha Incorporated – retired at age thirty to give the company to his brother – and an active _collector_ as he put it.

"I'll give you one more warning," Itachi warned, grabbing another pistol off his belt. He'd carried in five more than he'd needed, just in case someone gave him trouble. Unfortunately, the only one giving him trouble was the one he'd come to kill in the first place.

"Dearest Itachi… I really don't think you want to do that," his uncle said in a whisperingly-scolding tone that made Itachi's blood run cold with fury.

There, clutched in the older man's arms – like he was scared of his dearest elder brother – was Sasuke Uchiha.

Sasuke was small for his age, although he showed promise of a growth spurt this year. He was seven years old and had the smile of an angel with the hair of Satan himself – if their mother (who was somewhere in the kitchen and had been killed in the first wave of his attack) had anything to say about it. He was wearing a black shirt with white shorts. Both had the Uchiha emblem sewn into them.

"Don't tell me what I want," Itachi said, bit out, leveling his gun at his uncle's forehead and starting to squeeze the trigger.

"Why? You've never let it bother you in the past… always such a good little boy, following directions," Madara stated, a smirk growing as he hugged Sasuke tighter and brought the boy's head in line with Itachi's sights oh-so-subtly. After all, it _was_ Madara who'd taught him how to shoot.

"'tachi…" the little boy cried out piteously, and Itachi let his finger off the trigger, his body jerking reflexively.

There was only one person on earth that Itachi didn't loathe, and he was currently in the arms of the man he couldn't hate more.

"Shh., Sasuke… Itachi's a bit unstable right now," their uncle taunted lightly, running a hand through Sasuke's untamable black locks while Sasuke's deep, unending, watery black eyes stared at Itachi in fear.

"Sasuke…" Itachi began, but couldn't find the words to continue.

"Why…?" Sasuke sobbed, his eyes wide and unbelieving, but at the same time… trusting – as though any excuse Itachi could give him for the slaughter would be enough.

"Because it _was my duty."_

"You'll have to explain that one to me," a blond man who was standing on the sidelines asked. His blue eyes were narrowed in question as he stared at Itachi intently.

Itachi looked from the child in his depraved uncle's lap to the blond man with a shrugging sort of understanding, as though the man had been there the entire time.

"No one else was going to do it," Itachi stated, lifting up his gun again casually to take aim at his uncle.

The man was talking now, but Itachi couldn't hear him. His brother was sobbing, crying, flailing… one slight miscalculation, and Sasuke could be dead.

"You took that shot anyway."

"Of course," Itachi answered and fired his gun.

Sasuke screamed, flinching inwards into a ball – precisely like he always did around loud noises, as Itachi knew well – and the bullet hit his uncle's neck, which instantly sprayed blood _everywhere_.

Arterial blood… it was like a high-pressured fountain and Itachi had found himself covered in it from head to toe that day, although his brother had faired considerably worse.

"And he left after that, right?"

Details that had been discussed to death; repetition was not Itachi's thing.

The blond man dressed in orange – a detail which only now became apparent as Itachi's attention was no longer spliced to his uncle – held up his hands in defeat. Itachi only barely noticed his brother escape from his uncle's lap and run screaming from the room.

Itachi walked over to where his uncle was suffering in the throws of death and sat down in his lap.

His uncle, too weak to make the motion on his own, accepted Itachi's help in moving his hand up to his precious nephew's hair.

"He always knew I'd kill him," Itachi said conversationally to the blond man.

"That's how you were found… Sasuke screaming outside in the church's parking lot, and you sitting in your dead uncle's lap, his hand being held tightly in your hair."

"Yes… I believe that's how it happened."

"You were unconscious."

"Yes."

"You didn't regain consciousness until you reached the hospital."

"Sometime hours later, yes."

"So… what did you feel when you woke up."

"Feel? I didn't _feel_ anything."

"Yeah… that's kinda a problem we've been having."

It was hardly a problem.

Itachi turned away from his uncle and the man disappeared. Before he could stop it, he reached out for the man he'd killed and scrambled in the dark for him.

"Madara?" Itachi cried.

"He's been dead for twenty years, Itachi."

"I… but…"

"C'mon, emo, let's get you out of your room."

Itachi felt the blond man's hands on his body and he struggled against them.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!!"

"Fuck," the other man groaned as Itachi punched him in the head – hard.

Being in an institution, there were very few things offered that Itachi had taken any liking to. Weight training had been one of those few things, and his wonderful peer counselor – a man by the name of Naruto Uzumaki – was finding that out the hard way.

"KIBA!" the blond man yelped, and suddenly Itachi wasn't alone with Naruto anymore.

The room, with its blood and shit-house stench instantly disappeared, replaced instead by a white, misshapen box with no specific features in which he and the orange-covered man were currently struggling.

Naruto had one of his arms in his hand and was attempting to force him to the ground, while Itachi was struggling for all his worth.

"WHERE AM I!?"

_A twelve year old Itachi was screaming the same thing, howling with pain until his uncle shoved something red and porous into his mouth, silencing his harsh, panting cries._

"He's hallucinating again!"

"Get the straps!"

"Call Hinata!"

"_Shut up, you foolish boy… do you want your father to see you? How pathetic you look, all tied up and helpless… worthless… not even an Uchiha… just a toy to one…"_

Itachi roared as he felt both his arms being held back and he felt tears of fury dripping down his cheeks when a needle pressed into his skin, puncturing the white flesh and injecting something into his system.

"Another?"

"I dunno… it depends, what'd you give him?"

"_It's for the pain, Itachi… it'll make the world shine like a pretty crystal… a wonderful, glorious crystal. Don't you want to see it, Itachi? It's beautiful."_

_A needle was placed against his skin, but he squirmed and flinched and his uncle couldn't get the proper leverage._

"_Stop it!" Madara slapped him harshly and his head whipped to the side._

"Jesus… what the hell is he going through now?"

"PTSD… it's all shades of messed up. Transfer him back to his other room. I think this one triggered the response."

"It's like walking in a goddamned mine-field with him."

"Just shut up and move him."

"You don't have that authorization."

"Then ask Kakashi, but _move him_."

White hair, slopped lazily to the side like he'd never bothered to brush it, grey eyes, one covered…

red eye… cornea transplant…

wiry body… blue shirt, black pants… white tape… why did he wear tape?

"_Do you like tennis, Itachi? I like tennis, I think its fun."_

_Itachi didn't understand the point of balls flying everywhere, bouncing on pavement. The bouncing gave him a headache._

"_Don't want to play?"_

_Did not answering count as being uncooperative? Itachi wanted to watch the news tonight._

"He's not out yet."

"Seriously?"

"Shut up, Kiba…"

He was moving… it felt like the world was shaking.

Another prick, the world faded and went back.

Blue eyes were staring at him.

..........

Naruto Uzumaki was a volunteer at the psychiatric ward in the Konoha Maximum Security Prison. He'd only been eligible after begging his friend – Neji Hyuuga – who had many contacts within the prison system through his family.

It had taken damn near two years of interviewing, but he'd gotten the position and was allowed to work around his studies at the local University.

He was going in for his doctorate in Psychology, currently on his third year of his bachelors. There was a long way to go.

Technically speaking, volunteers were required to 'attend' to the patients, entertain them, help them when needed. More often than not, a person would be required to take on a handful of patients and alternate between them.

Naruto was a special case.

..........

"So… newbie… how'd you get the job?"

Naruto _knew_ how difficult it was to get in here. Obviously if this man didn't even know him, Neji really must have worked a number to get him in here.

"Is this my final interview?"

The white-haired man sitting behind a large, probably over-compensating desk let out a chuckle and gazed at him with one eye.

The other eye was covered with a medical eye-patch.

"If you're here, you're hired. I'm just the doctor, I don't actually have the authority to hire or fire anyone. That's all the government."

"Oh… uh… Neji Hyuuga… he's my friend at the U."

"A Hyuuga? And he sent you here?"

"Is… that strange?"

"Do you know Hinata?"

"Sure, I went to highschool with her, why?"

"Ah, that makes more sense then. She's one of the nurses here."

Oh… so Neji had sent Naruto here to babysit. Oddly, that made a lot more sense than the upright prick offering to help him in general.

"Right…"

"Look… as a volunteer, especially as a newbie to this entire business, this is going to throw you for the first little bit. People in this ward can seem perfectly normal one day and unstable the next. This isn't your common hospital ward, these people can and _will_ kill you if given half the chance.

"You need to be aware of everything you say or do. Use your real name, but don't give out any other personal information. Even the ones with their heads in the sky can probably use a computer. Chances are pretty decent none of them have the mental capacity to flee, but hell, watch it."

"I went through the training."

"Right, yeah… but I've seen people do some pretty spectacularly stupid things."

"Oh… well, thanks, I guess."

"Whatever, just… don't die. That's all I ask."

"Do a lot of people die here?"

"More than I'm comfortable saying. Safety first, no matter what – safety fucking first."

"Got it, boss."

"Let's hope so."

"So… I'm Naruto Uzumaki… just… for reference."

"Kakashi Hatake PHD, and I'll either be your best friend or your worst nightmare here. I've only ever had a couple people clash with me, so I think you'll get along fine."

"Great!"

..........

Meeting the inmates had been a new experience. Most of them thought he was fascinating because of his orange clothing. A number of them pawed and him and cheered oddly. One of them had to be taken to his room because he tried to use children's scissors to cut Naruto's clothing off.

It was a new experience.

He was introduced to the vast majority of the inmates, warned of their particulars and told that he would probably be working with three to four of them at a time.

Then, everything changed with one meeting.

"This is Itachi Uchiha, our celebrity."

Naruto blinked in shock. Itachi Uchiha? But…?

"I thought Sasuke was the last Uchiha?"

Naruto had blurted out the comment thoughtlessly and it attracted attention he was positive he didn't want.

The man he was currently being introduced to was sitting on the bed in his room, staring out his window that was lined with wire and had bars both inside and outside.

Itachi was lean, gaunt almost, with skin so pale you could easily see his veins beneath it. His eyes were the darkest shade of grey that Naruto had ever witnessed – even in comparison to Sasuke's – and his hair was a fountain of the same grey-ish black colour flowing down his back. Sasuke's hair was far more blue than grey. Naruto wondered if Itachi was just graying prematurely.

"Sasuke is the last Uchiha wondering out there in the world."

"Oh…"

The silence was awkward as those dark eyes stared at him, a slight frown on the otherwise expressionless face.

"You're far too bright."

The man's voice was dark, deep like his eyes and cut into the silence like a pin into a balloon.

"Woah…"

Kakashi stared at Itachi in shock and then looked at Naruto with new appreciation.

"I'm not that bright! What is it with you Uchihas? Orange is a perfectly _fine_ colour. They even sell it in the scrub section of Wal Mart!" Naruto howled in defense of his clothing.

"You're loud."

Naruto narrowed his eyes in challenge at the black haired man, who smirked slightly.

"You're rude."

"I'm honest."

"Blunt."

"Perhaps…"

Itachi ducked his head slightly, his face losing all expression again for a moment, before he turned back to the window to stare outside again.

"Huh?"

Naruto was confused.

"PTSD leading to a stupor… we thought it was catatonia, to be honest."

Kakashi looked shocked, outright out of his mind shocked.

"Y'know, Naruto… I think I might have to reassign you.

..........

That was how Naruto was placed solely with Itachi. After all, no one else could get the Uchiha to speak.

..........

"Do you remember anything about yesterday?"

The silence of his room had been complete. They were sitting there, staring at each other. The white-haired man who often introduced himself as a doctor – but whom Itachi was convinced was simply another patient like himself – had interrupted the silence with speech, with a question no less.

Itachi simply didn't feel like answering it right now.

"You attacked Naruto."

Naruto… blond, orange… slightly amusing, but overall just another annoyance thrown at him with the money Sasuke was effectively throwing away on his 'healing'.

Itachi didn't want to be healed. He sincerely wished that there was a death penalty in Canada.

"He's okay… wants to meet with you again."

"Okay."

"Okay? Wow, an answer… two syllables."

Itachi stared at him and the white-haired man seemed to be cowed under the look.

"Probably isn't a good idea to taunt patients, huh?"

Itachi believed, once more, that he had all the evidence that he needed to say Kakashi really was insane.

..........

"I figured we could start working out together," the blond man grinned at him, hands tucked behind his head causing his elbows to point out beside the frizzy yellow man the idiot called a hairdo.

"You look atrocious," Itachi declared.

"So he tells _you_ your hair looks atrocious… you'd think that mine would…"

Both men ignored the so-called doctor grumbling around in the background.

"Yeah, and you look like a vampire, emo."

It was an affectionate nickname… or, at least, Itachi _thought_ it was affectionate. Naruto didn't appear to have a negative bone in his body – unless he lost at strip poker, in which case, he could get rather violent.

"Hn."

"You can even get him to 'hn'! Everyone tells me that Uchihas 'hn', and the only thing I can get out of him is an 'okay' when I suggest meeting you."

The white-haired pest was once more ignored as the two started stretching.

To be honest, Itachi didn't quite comprehend why the 'doctor' was here in the first place.

"Isn't it lunch time for the inmates?"

"Yeah…?" the blond looked honestly confused at Itachi's question.

Black eyes scanned back to look at the white-haired doctor and Naruto gave off a snort.

"'tachi, he might be insane, but he _is_ a doctor."

Kakashi took out an orange novel, which all the staff and patients knew by heart to be an 'erotica' story written by an older and considerably less wise psychologist.

"I remain unconvinced."

"Don't blame you."

They lifted weights until Itachi's arms felt like they were about to fall off. Naruto just kept going, grinning and challenging in his bright, sunny disposition.

Itachi dumped a glass over water over the blond's head and left the room.

He didn't like it when people were able to beat him at things – not even Naruto.

..........

Going home was an odd occasion.

Naruto lived with his on-again-off-again girlfriend, Sakura. On the times that they were on-again, they lived in the same room and used the second bedroom as a guest room/office, on the times they were off, he moved into the office and generally lived with his on-again-off-again boyfriend.

Sometimes – like their current occasion – their 'on' would last for years. He'd been living with Sakura since they were twenty three, four years and he hadn't seen his boyfriend in that entire time.

Today was one of those wonderful days that would probably decide whether he was sleeping in the office or in the bedroom.

"You're late."

Yes… Naruto was always late.

"Sorry, one of the patients got carried away and dumped a cup of water on my head."

She looked unconvinced.

"Look, I'm sorry that my job is such a pain in the ass."

Sakura was going to school to be a doctor as well, but she was focusing on fulltime studies rather than taking on any sort of volunteering.

"Just go get ready."

Naruto rolled his eyes and dashed into the office. He was right, all his shit had already been emptied out of the drawers and thrown on the bed.

Guess it was time to call Sasuke.

..........

"The only person you talk to, about or with is Naruto."

A curious, unnatural observation that Itachi had never noticed, and probably would have continued to never notice if it hadn't been blatantly laid out before him.

The white-haired mockery was sitting across from him, staring at him intently, as though Itachi would be able to answer the non-existent question in the doctor's statement.

Instead, Itachi blinked.

It seemed like the correct answer at the time.

Kakashi sighed and hung his head.

..........

Naruto was a bit overwhelmed when he got home the day after all his stuff had been hurled out of his bedroom and Sakura jumped him in excitement.

"I talked to Neji today! He said that I might be able to get a job in the same place as you!"

"That's great Sakura!"

They didn't leave his room the entire day and Naruto moved his stuff back in the next morning.

It was probably a good thing he hadn't gotten the chance to call Sasuke yet. Not to mention that he hadn't talked to the prick since he'd gotten the job with Itachi… he really needed to find out _why_ Sasuke hadn't told him about his brother.

..........

There was a semi-private room at the hospital that could be used when counselors and nurses were pulling extended shifts.

It was _supposed_ to be used for sleeping. Fortunately, Naruto and Sakura had found _alternate_ methods of using the space.

..........

Itachi wasn't one for observation, not truly. He didn't take notice of many things that other people took for granted as common behavior.

For instance, when he found his precious blond counselor in the arms of a pink-haired nurse; the two fused at the lip and hip, panting and sweaty, he didn't quite… comprehend.

_Mine_.

His mind… rebelled against the blond's blatant show of disrespect to his person.

He watched as their bodies moved together, and he recalled other times when that happened.

Fury…

anger…

blazing, white hot against his eyes.

"_The first time is always awkward… especially at your age… stop screaming, Itachi. It can't hurt _that_ badly."_

It hurt worse.

_Pick up a piece of glass and stab him… shatter a window, use a bottle… GET HIM OUT OF YOU._

But he didn't…. not then, at least.

Now… now, he wasn't about to allow anyone to hurt Naruto… even if that person did have pink hair.

"Itachi…? What…?"

The panting stopped, screaming replaced it.

Itachi had been seven.

..........

Before either of them had been able to stop him, Itachi had grabbed the nearest sharp object – a paintbrush – and dashed towards them.

His arm swung down and Sakura screamed as the paint brush broke off in her shoulder.

Naruto gasped and attempted to protect her with his body.

Itachi wasn't aiming at the blond and the next stab with the brush hit Sakura's cheek, scraping fiercely along her sensitive skin.

Sakura's screaming brought help, which was a good thing, because Naruto was so shocked that he stood stupid while Itachi brutalized his girlfriend.

..........

"DON'T TOUCH ME!"

The familiar roar.

"Itachi!"

Blond hair… blue eyes… orange…

"Naruto…"

"Stop screaming, 'kay? Stop screaming… no one's trying to hurt you…"

"Madara… he's…!"

"Madara's dead, Itachi… he's not here."

"Are you sure?"

The blond took his hand tightly in his own, anchoring him to reality.

"Yeah, I'm sure."

Itachi felt his body tense and then relax.

Naruto said Madara was dead.

"How did he die?"

"Someone killed him… Itachi, how old are you?"

"'m seven…"

The world went fuzzy and he fell asleep, curled up into his savior's side.

Maybe Naruto had killed Madara and didn't want to get in trouble for it?

..........

Itachi remained in his seven-year-old daze for months. Naruto was reduced to reading him storybooks and painting crappy little portraits of fruit bowls.

Itachi was a fantastic artist, his finger painting always coming off like something painted like a classic, even with the mental-capacity of a seven year old.

He'd never realized just how brilliant the other man was until that point.

..........

Sakura remained in the hospital for almost a week, the doctors struggling to remove wood and metal shards from her body before it could heal over them.

Her face would scar something awful; plastic surgery seemed to be the only option.

She was going to take it, and Naruto was going to pay for every inch of it.

Suddenly, it became a good thing that their petty asshole of a best friend (and Naruto's shitty-ass on-again-off-again boyfriend) had become a semi-famous plastic surgeon who worked barely an hour away in Oto.

Funny how things worked out, as now Naruto had a reason to talk to Sasuke about Itachi.

..........

"He swims in an out of coherency. It's like trying to find a radio station in the mountains."

"Is there any hope of any sort of recovery?"

"You should come in and see him."

"I don't think that's wise. How's Sakura recovering?"

"Oh… she had to leave the position after Itachi attacked her. I think he thought she was… I dunno, raping me or something."

"You were having sex at work?"

"Not exactly… okay, maybe, sorta, I don't know how your brother managed to ghost through the door. Anyway… he thinks he's seven right now."

"Seven?"

"First time Madara…"

"Oh…"

"Yeah. I think it was because he saw us."

"Way to create a mental time-machine, idiot."

"Fuck off, you avoidant, emo bastard. Come in and see your brother."

..........

"How old are you?"

Kakashi asked this question with complete sincerity and Itachi realized, quite possibly for the first time, that he… didn't know.

"How old am I?"

The white-haired doctor blinked in shock, perhaps at being answered, perhaps because Itachi didn't know.

After that, the black-haired patient no longer listened to his doctor's ranting. Insane people probably shouldn't listen to other insane people…

..........

Naruto had convinced Sasuke to come see his brother over a weekend of grueling, back-breaking sex that also played off as Sasuke's birthday present as Naruto was dirt broke and in so much debt it hurt.

He'd had to call in sick to work the next day as Sasuke's kinks had left him bruised and aching.

It was a good kind of ache.

..........

"You're going to have a pretty special visitor."

Visitor?

Itachi… couldn't really recall having a visitor before.

"Who?"

Two answers in one year, Kakashi was on a roll.

"Your brother."

"Where's Naruto?"

"Aren't you excited to see your brother?"

Itachi felt a strain of panic within his body. He saw sad, black eyes looking at him with so much broken trust an accusation.

_He heard screaming, from out in the parking lot._

He turned to see where Sasuke had run off to.

"Itachi, we're in the hospital."

The words were white noise.

"Hey, Kakashi, Itachi… sorry I'm late. Did you already break the good news?"

Like a halo of light and atrocious fashion sense, Naruto appeared on the edge of his vision.

Naruto was holding Sasuke in his arms and Sasuke was hiding from him.

"Naruto, Sasuke is coming."

"Yeah, isn't it awesome?"

Naruto held his brother close, perhaps protecting him, perhaps comforting him.

"How old is he?"

"Sasuke is… uh… I think he's about twenty eight now. Yeah, just turned and everything."

"So I am thirty four."

"Yup… just… turned and everything."

"May I hold my brother?"

"Uh… sure… if he wants you to?"

Naruto opened his arms and the child that was his brother crawled out of them and into his proper place – in his brother's arms.

Itachi held him close, remembering everything he could remember about the precious bundle in his arms.

There was an awkward moment, where the other two men stared at him in confusion, before they stepped out of the room and closed the door.

..........

"Why does he respond to you?"

"I dunno… maybe he can sense Sasuke on me?"

"He did respond when Sasuke was mentioned… but only to ask about you."

"I uh… well… I don't know, Kakashi. To be honest, I'm feeling pressure… and I don't know if I want it."

"I can't blame you. You're welcome to leave any time, and you're welcome to come back if you need more hours."

"Yeah, well… we'll see. I just… can't believe he attacked Sakura."

"Is she okay?"

"Sure… after stitches and plastic surgery. I should probably be with her right now."

"Why aren't you?"

"Sasuke's coming. Sakura gets it, she's a nurse."

..........

Sakura _didn't_ get it. Sakura had moved out with one of her friends.

Sasuke lived with him now and Naruto found himself a lot happier, a lot hornier and a fuck of a lot sorer.

Sasuke really didn't take prisoners in bed.

..........

The hospital was loud. Everyone seemed busy. Every eye was turned awkwardly to the front doors.

Itachi didn't understand why.

Was there a monster? Should he be paying attention too?

Itachi turned in time to see a black blur enter in through the gated doors that prevented the patients from removing themselves and unsavory creatures from walking in from the streets.

There were… a great many locked doors in his current hospital.

The black blob walked through security like he owned it, only removing his sunglasses when he passed the final barrier – sunglasses weren't allowed in the hospital.

All of a sudden, like a blond blur of movement, his reading partner took off from across the couch and launched himself at the black blob.

Itachi rose to his feet.

Naruto was paying attention to someone else during their reading time.

Itachi was not amused.

"Naruto."

His words shattered the happy reunion and he saw the blond man turn to look at him with his wide, happy blue eyes, and Itachi blinked at the sight of the person beneath Naruto's body.

"Itachi."

The word caused the elder man to blink as it echoed through the years, through puberty, through to the last time he'd heard his name uttered by those lips.

Pale skin, black hair… dark, dark grey eyes… almost black… staring at him in betrayed trust and accusation.

"Sasuke."

Hospital security was called.

..........

Sasuke had gone home early that day, cursing about how he shouldn't have come and how it was a waste of time.

Naruto had gone down on him in their car when they reached the apartment, sucking enthusiastically and pleading with his eyes the entire time.

_Don't leave him there._

Sasuke agreed to come back the next day under punishment of no orgasms for the day.

..........

Itachi was placed in his room, complacent and near catatonic – as always.

"Itachi…?"

The white-haired menace was talking to him. How… curious.

"Hey there!"

Blond, orange… Naruto.

"My brother is here, Naruto."

"Yeah… we told you he was coming a few days ago."

"Oh… I'd forgotten."

"It's all good… he wants to see you, y'know?"

"Will you be here?"

"If you want me to."

"I want you to."

"Then I'll be here."

"Okay."

Itachi didn't object as Naruto and Kakashi placed restraints on his arms that would keep him in his chair. He simply watched Naruto as the blond made sure that his restraints weren't too tight or too loose.

"Thank you."

It was a simple statement of gratitude, and Naruto blinked up at him in confusion.

"You're welcome?"

Itachi nodded, as that was the proper answer, and turned to the door.

"My brother is coming, Naruto."

"Yeah… "

..........

Sasuke stepped into the room like a dark, repressing force of memories.

His entire body tensed and relaxed at the same time. With Sasuke came memories, came relief… came… coherency.

"Little brother."

"Itachi."

"So… it really did happen."

"What did?"

The question wasn't addressed at him.

"The massacre."

Naruto

"I don't always remember."

Sasuke frowned, as though not comprehending how it was possible for someone to simply… _forget_ something that important.

..........

Things were going great at home, the hospital had decided that they _might_ actually _hire_ him rather than just have him volunteer, and Itachi was… well… Itachi was Itachi.

Sasuke was visiting the hospital frequently, sometimes to say 'hi' to Naruto, and sometimes to actually attempt to talk to his brother.

More than once the two of them had gone for quickies in Kakashi's office or a local broom closet.

No one seemed to mind, although it was damn awkward the time Kakashi had walked in on them and attempted to 'stay to watch'.

Naruto felt a blush rising just from the thought and a stupid, lovesick smile struck him.

The smile was darkened slightly when he saw Itachi sitting on the bed in his room, blanket over his head, body unmoving.

The last three meals Naruto had brought were sitting untouched on the bed in front of his charge.

Naruto was getting worried, but he just… _didn't_ know what Itachi wanted.

..........

Sasuke visited every day for a week. Itachi was bored of him by the end of the week. He wanted Naruto back for himself. He didn't want to share with his little brother. Sasuke… always got so much attention.

Therefore, Itachi did something he wasn't known to do – he hid.

He didn't want to see Sasuke, so he created a small 'fort' for himself and hid there, in his room, under his blankets. Sooner rather than later, even Naruto stopped coming to see him.

He didn't want that.

..........

It wasn't until the end of the week that he went to find Naruto again. He wanted to read a book.

He heard… similar noises to those with the pink-haired-creature as he approached a room the aligned with Kakashi, but he was… curious.

These noises were different, far more animalistic in nature.

He opened the door slightly to see Naruto bent over one side of a desk, Itachi's precious little brother behind him.

Sasuke's hand was intertwined in Naruto's blond locks as the blond boy moaned. His eyes rolled back in his head as his body shook and quivered under the assault being laid to it and he let out a soft keening sound that almost sounded like he was in pain.

Itachi debated movement and decided against it.

The monsters don't see you if you don't move.

"Say my name, bitch."

Naruto groaned again, his body arching and a gasp escaping him as Sasuke's hand traced down that tanned flesh and nestled into a patch of curls located between the blond's thighs.

Itachi registered that that was the general area of one's genitalia, but it didn't fully occur to him _what_ the hand was doing there until it started stroking and Naruto started that strange keening noise again.

"Scream it!"

His brother always had been so demanding.

"Sasuke…!"

The blond barely panted out the name.

"_Scream it!_"

"SASUKE! SASUKE!"

Itachi was positive that the entire hospital had heard.

His little brother let out a moan himself, his body jerking wildly for a few moments before it settled. His hand continued moving, however, and it was only a few seconds before Naruto's own body launched into shivers and the organ currently within his brother's control let out stream after stream of white substance.

Itachi was… unprepared for this.

He couldn't quite comprehend that… _that_ had happened, that he had watched.

He pressed his hand against the door, opening it fully and revealing himself to the two inside.

"Itachi…?"

The low groan came from Naruto.

There was a disorienting second where Sasuke struggled to sit up and wrap himself in something and the blond grabbed him quickly, stilling his motions as though in fear.

Itachi couldn't understand why… until he realized that he'd stepped into the room and that he had something in his hand.

Blinking, he looked down to see that he'd grabbed a metal picture frame.

Picture frames had glass.

_Get him out of you_.

"Get off Naruto… get out of him… get out…"

Itachi was muttering things under his breath. He hadn't been aware that he was talking.

"Sasuke… don't move…"

Naruto's voice was a blur, a complete incomprehension to his cloudy mind and he struck out.

The blond's hand met his wrist and he was shocked at the young man's strength. Apparently working out had been doing wonders for Naruto as well.

Within seconds, Itachi was pinned to the desk and he melted there, with Naruto atop him.

He fell asleep before security ever reached Kakashi's office.

..........

Sasuke hadn't been talking to Naruto for a few days after the incident.

Naruto didn't know whether his lover was shaken up or whether he was angry. Either way, he didn't like it.

He was about to graduate in a few months… he had seriously debated leaving the hospital to focus on his life.

Now, it just seemed like a far more viable option.

..........

"I need to leave."

"Okay."

..........

The separation with Kakashi had gone swiftly. Naruto had a feeling that the white-haired man knew it had been coming.

..........

Naruto wasn't at the hospital anymore after that.

Itachi was… lonely.

He stopped talking to everyone and waited for the blond to return.

He waited a very long time.

..........

"You only have….........."

Naruto heard the rest, but only in an absent sort of way.

He still had bandages all over his body, wrapping his limbs in a cast or two and sheltering his body from the damage he'd wrought on it.

Now… as though to make matters worse.

"Mr. Uzumaki… I'm sorry."

Naruto felt silent tears running down his cheeks.

He'd never even smoked a cigarette in his life

..........

Sasuke was thirty five.

Itachi was forty one.

Naruto was thirty four.

"Oh, God… I can't believe this happened."

Naruto was crying in his lap, sobbing incomprehensibly while Itachi stroked his blond mane gently, cautiously.

He didn't say anything, he didn't have to.

The blond sobbed and sobbed, his body shaking like his bones were about to liquefy.

"Don't turn into a puddle."

Naruto couldn't help but chuckle and Itachi felt a smile tug at his lips.

He hadn't smiled since Naruto had left.

"I'm so sorry, Itachi… I'm sorry."

"You've been gone."

"Yeah… I'm sorry about that too."

"Why?"

Naruto fell silent and Itachi was content simply holding him until the guards came to escort the blond out.

Itachi followed him as far as they'd let him before he was escorted back to his room.

..........

Naruto returned the next day and the same thing happened again.

Itachi held him while the blond cried and all was right in the world.

..........

The funeral was over. Naruto had been the one to scatter Sakura's ashes. He had a feeling she would rather be free.

Sasuke, however… he kept with himself. He'd probably leave the urn to Itachi when…

Yeah.

..........

"Naruto… I have a question to ask you."

"I think that's the longest sentence you've ever said to me."

"I'm about to say longer."

"Hunh… well, okay, then. What did you want to ask me?"

It had been three months since Naruto had returned, and Itachi had noticed that Naruto no longer paid attention to anyone else. He came in at the beginning of visiting hours and bypassed everyone to see Itachi, and stayed until they removed him hours and hours later.

Itachi had noticed this… and he approved of it. He enjoyed having the blond's attention to himself.

"Marriage is still legal in Canada, correct?"

"Marriage is still legal kinda everywhere, Itachi."

Itachi blinked at him in confusion.

When he'd been younger, marriage had been a very new feature.

"Oh."

"Yeah… why, you thinking of getting hitched?"

Naruto sounded so excited, so… cheerful, naïve.

"Can I be your best man?"

"Will you be my wife?"

"Huh?"

"Marry me."

Itachi wasn't entire sure where the question had come from, specifically… but he knew that he wanted to marry Naruto and had wanted it for some time. He wasn't entirely sure… why… or how… could prisoners even _be_ married?

"Do I have to wear a dress?"

"Do you want to wear a dress?"

"Nah, not really."

"Then don't wear a dress."

"'kay."

Silence overtook them as Itachi stroked through blond hair lightly.

"I will never leave here."

"I know."

"You're dying."

"Wha…?"

"You wouldn't agree to marry a convict unless you were dying. How long do I have?"

Naruto didn't answer, Itachi didn't press.

..........

The ceremony was cheesy, awful and perfect at the same time.

Itachi didn't know if the entire thing was legal, or if Kakashi was just playing to his requests, but he was nevertheless pleased that they'd brought in something of a priest and that he and Naruto had stood before a small crowd and said their vows.

Naruto had been grinning and waving and blowing kisses at other people – which Itachi frowned at.

Husbands should not be blowing kisses at people who're not their husbands.

"Mine…"

The possessive statement seemed to catch Naruto off guard, and Itachi was amused to see a small flush on Naruto's cheeks.

"Yeah…"

The blond looked away, as though shy, and Itachi felt a strange leaping sensation within him that he couldn't recall feeling in any other situation but in Naruto's presence.

"You may kiss your husband!"

The joyful statement was met with a bit of calculation on Itachi's part. Kissing? He'd never intended—

Naruto didn't give him the chance to debate the issue. Rising up on to his tip-toes, the blond brushed his slightly-chapped lips lightly against Itachi's.

Itachi felt his heart stutter in his chest when Naruto pulled away, and he yanked the boy back again.

Flowers discarded, Itachi laced his newly-ringed hand into Naruto's hair and pulled his body closer so he may kiss his newest addition quite thoroughly.

It may have been near thirty years since he'd last been given the chance to exercise that particular feature of his body, but with Naruto's moan and everyone's cheering, he guessed that he hadn't quite forgotten that detail of his life yet.

"Wow…"

Naruto's voice was hushed, his cheeks were even redder than previous and his eyes were shinning brightly with light.

Itachi decided he liked Naruto like this – a lot.

..........

There was no reception, but Naruto was allowed to stay the evening with Itachi, although he still had to be out by midnight.

They spent the time in Itachi's room.

Naruto was curled into his side, soft breaths at Itachi's throat and his eyes fluttering lightly with sleep and thought.

Itachi watched him, lacing his hands into longish blond hair. Naruto had let it grow out.

"A little less than a year."

Itachi nodded and held the boy-man closer.

He'd met Naruto when Naruto had been only twenty years old. To Itachi, the blond would never be older than that.

..........

Naruto knew that that night was probably the most perfect of his life.

He'd never thought that he'd be married.

Sasuke had brought the issue up a few years into their relationship, but only to say that he never wanted it to happen.

Naruto had been disappointed.

For some reason… he really had wanted to be married.

With Itachi, the ceremony wasn't legal, and the rings on their fingers were more or less expensive toys, but Naruto… felt as though, to Itachi, he was the entire world.

It was a new feeling.

Sakura had always had her friends, her job, her life outside of Naruto.

Sasuke had always had his work, his money, his fancy toys.

Itachi didn't have anything but Naruto.

Even though they'd never have sex or be with each other in any sort of physical relationship, Naruto felt that… Itachi loved him more for other reasons, reasons that Naruto kept closer to his heart.

Itachi wouldn't be there when he started to get sick. He wouldn't be there when Naruto's body gave out, and he wouldn't rush him to the hospital when his heart finally stopped beating… but Itachi would probably never have another thought in his entire life that didn't have Naruto in it.

Just knowing… that to _someone_ he was _that_ important… well, Naruto could be celibate for the last year of his life.

..........

After six months, Naruto started losing his hair.

Itachi watched with detached interest as Naruto attempted to bat off questions as to the reason and attempted to comfort the man when his failing body would shudder and quake under the effects of the treatment it was undergoing.

Itachi didn't understand why, but he knew Naruto was hurting.

"I won't leave you."

"I know."

..........

Getting to the prison was painful. It was an exercise in misery to do _anything_. He was barely able to walk, and he was informed rather bluntly that in a very short period of time, he would need to be hospitalized indefinitely… on his death bed.

Still, every day, he got up, washed, ate, called a taxi and struggled down to the prison.

..........

It was on one of the last days Naruto was able to mobilize himself that Itachi was given leave to have a guarded walk around outside.

Itachi hadn't been outside the hospital in nearly ten years. Not since he'd attacked Kakashi with a tennis racket.

Kiba was at their side. Itachi hadn't seen Kiba for… a very long time. The man's hair was starting to gray, but other than that, Itachi registered nothing different.

"…married to Hinata now, right?"

"Yeah… tied the knot around the same time that you did."

"That's… a-awe-s-some."

Naruto stammered now, unable to get out most words without some sort of speech impediment.

It was a good thing that Itachi didn't demand words, he supposed.

Pretty soon he doubted Naruto would be able to even visit him anymore.

..........

Itachi's prediction came true naught but a few weeks later when Kakashi told him that Naruto had been admitted to the hospital and that he wouldn't be coming anymore.

Itachi hadn't quite known how to act, so he merely nodded and went back to staring outside.

..........

Naruto had been expecting to die alone, but he hadn't realized that it would hurt _so fucking much_.

His breathing was being controlled by a machine and his lungs ached something fierce. There was nothing they could do… had been nothing they could do when they found out.

He hadn't even realized that he'd been sick.

Turning his face to the side slightly, in his haze, he could have sworn that he saw _them_.

Sakura was holding his hand tightly, tears trailing down her face in a happy-but-sad way, Sasuke was smirking at him, a welcoming, happy sort of smirk that promised that Naruto would never be bored… and the last.

A frown featured on his dying face as he stared into the warm, peaceful eyes of a man he'd never seen stare at him with anything but blank interest. This person… this was who Itachi _could_ have been… if Madara… if Madara hadn't…

'_I love you… all of you…'_

..........

Less than a month later, Naruto was dead and Itachi was alone again.

..........

"_You'll always be mine. Even if you kill me, Itachi… you'll always be mine."_

Words that haunted the old Uchiha for his entire life.

Was he still Madara's?

After all these years… after knowing Naruto, loving Naruto – in his own way – after killing Madara and his entire family… was he still Madara's?

Kakashi had died many years ago. Naruto was dead.

He was the only one left.

He didn't know how old he was. He couldn't remember how old Sasuke was anymore.

He'd only ever seen Sasuke once since he'd been admitted to the hospital, but he'd been told his brother died before he'd been married.

Car accident.

Claimed two.

Blond at the wheel.

Itachi understood the weight of carrying a loved one's death on your hands.

Naruto had handled it a considerable amount better than he had.

Itachi stared out the window of his death bed and pondered again.

When he died, would it be Naruto's bright, cool light or Madara's passionate, hateful heat that would claim him?

Itachi's eyes closed for a final time and he felt himself slip away, unaware of the dual pair of arms that wrapped around his body, eyes challenging each other warily.

..........

Love… was a twisted thing.

Itachi was _his_, he belonged to _him_, but he also belonged to _him_.

Light and darkness… they are within everyone… neither can outmaneuver the other.

With this in mind, the blond closed his weary eyes – his battle done – as he felt his lovers embrace his body while he hugged Itachi's bright, untainted soul ever tighter to his own.

Completed; the circle joined eternity.


End file.
